The present invention relates to an operating device of a door latch in a vehicle to operate a vehicle door, particularly to an operating device for operating a door latch mechanism of a sliding door.
As disclosed in JP2002-30843A, such an operating device comprises an outside handle on a sliding door, a handle lever released by door opening means such as an inside handle, a release lever connected to a door latch mechanism; a locking lever movable between an unlocking position and a locking position based on power source such as an actuator and a locking knob; and a cooperating member which moves with the locking lever between the unlocking and locking positions to allow releasing of the handle lever to be transmitted to the door latch mechanism in the unlocking position and to make it impossible to be transmitted in the locking position.
However, in the operating device of a door latch for a vehicle in JP2002-30843A, when the locking lever and cooperating member are in the locking position, if the door-opening means is operated together with the power source, the locking lever and cooperating member are still in the locking position to involve malfunction though the power source is actuated for unlocking. This is because the handle lever is released by the door-opening means when the cooperating member is in the locking position to allow the cooperating member to move and engage in a cam hole to stop movement from the locking position to the unlocking position. Thus, if malfunction occurs, the locking lever is still in the locking position even if the door-opening means returns to a position before operation, causing necessity of operation of the power source again to lead troublesome operation.